The present invention relates to a flag element for making motor vehicle and the like washing brushes.
The invention further relates to a method for making the motor vehicle washing brushes.
As is known, conventional motor vehicle washing brushes are made starting from flag elements which usually comprise a plurality of plastic material bristles or stems, supported by supporting elements applied to a rotary central shaft.
The washing portion of such a brush is conventionally made from bristles which directly contact the parts of the motor vehicles being washed such as cars, vans, pick-up""s, buses, trucks, locomotives, rail vehicles and the like.
A drawback of prior motor vehicle washing brushes is that these brushes are quickly worn because of the contact friction against the parts being washed, and because the end portions or xe2x80x9cfringesxe2x80x9d of the flag elements are frequently jammed by parts of the motor vehicles being washed.
Such a jamming, moreover, also damages parts of the motor vehicle being washed, which parts can be stripped away from the motor vehicle before a braking of the bristles.
Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing a flag element for motor vehicle washing brushes, which generate a friction in turn generating a longitudinal stress, i.e. parallel to the fringe length or extension, which is efficiently damped, with a consequent very small wearing.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle washing brush flag element, which is made starting from closed cell foamed plastic materials, such as ethylvinylacetate, or foamed EVA, which can be cut into strips and then collected in fringes, and in which the cross stress due to a contact against a motor vehicle part is efficiently damped by damping means provided at the base of the fringes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a motor vehicle washing brush flag element which does not jam against the motor vehicle being washed and, more specifically, against projecting parts of said motor vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a motor vehicle washing brush flag element which is very reliable and safe in operation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a motor vehicle washing brush flag element which can be easily made starting from closed cell foamed plastic material sheets, and with a thickness from 2 mm to 15 mm.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a motor vehicle washing brush flag element which is very competitive from a mere economic standpoint.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for making motor vehicle washing brush flag elements which is very simple and quick and allows to make flag elements having very high efficiency, reliability and duration or life properties.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a flag element for motor vehicle washing brushes, characterized in that said flag element comprises an elongated plate element having a central portion therefrom extend fringes made by cutting with different cutting lengths said plate element.